News
Ho Cenotaph Still In Squalor
The cenotaph constructed at the Old Durbar Ground at Ho almost a quarter of a century ago in honour of fallen war heroes, is still in a horrible state .
The Spectator embarked on a campaign about the two years ago to have the monument restored to serve its appropriate purpose but nothing had since been done about it.
Now the cenotaph is hidden covered by weeds.
Worse is that, some unpatriotic members of the public make their way through the weeds to either defecate or urinate around the cenotaph.
Others also dump wastes around it with impunity.
Meanwhile, rodents and reptiles are multiplying rapidly around the cenotaph which is an affront and great dishonour to the war heroes.
The structure was constructed by the Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC) in 1996, at the cost of GH¢9million.
It served as the venue for the celebration of Remembrance Day and other events of the security agencies.
After some years, the cenotaph was left to decay, fade and fall into oblivion, contrary to the purpose for which it was built.
In the absence of a cenotaph at the Jubilee Park, however, the wreath laying ceremonies now take place around make-shift wooden structures.
The crumbling cenotaph is metres away from the Volta Regional Coordinating Council, Regional Health Directorate, the uncompleted Regional Library, Ho Municipal Hospital, Regional Museum and the Anglican Basic Schools.
The stench emanating from the excrement around the monument poses public nuisance.
The old Durbar Ground itself is now a bushy field where some young people go hunting for rats, although it could be maintained to host smaller events.
“This is a big shame”, a visitor to the placeremarked.
Investigations conducted by The Spectator prior to filing this story revealed that the Old Durbar Ground is a state land and, therefore, falls under the management of the Volta Region Lands Commission.
When contacted recently, a source close to the commission, explained that the maintenance of the ground was specifically the responsibility of the user-agencies which had acquired it.
The source, however, could not disclose immediately the user-agency in-charge of the ground.
From Alberto Mario Noretti, Ho
The Northern Regional Police Command has arrested three men believed to be part of a kidnapping syndicate responsible for abducting a 42-year-old man in Wapuli, a community in the Yendi District.
The suspects, Haruna Seidu, Amidu Bandi and Osman Bandi allegedly kidnapped the victim and demanded GH¢100,000 from his family for his release.
According to a police statement, officers from the Regional Police Intelligence Directorate were deployed to Wapuli after the incident was reported.
The team conducted surveillance and launched a rescue operation.
On Friday, December 5, 2025, police successfully rescued the victim and arrested the suspects after what was described as an intense exchange of gunfire.
The suspects were later taken into custody and are expected to be arraigned before court.
The Police said the a fourth suspect, who is believed to have sustained gunshot wounds during the operation, is currently on the run.
They urged the public to provide any information that may lead to his arrest.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong advocates Bold educational reforms at the UK House of Lords during Global Education Summit.
On November 27 2025, global development leaders, policymakers, education experts and civil society organisations gathered at the UK Parliament’s House of Lords for the Global Education Summit hosted by The Baroness Verma of Leicester and organised by the African British Business Forum.
The high-level event focused on the global rise in out-of-school children and the urgent reforms required to deliver equitable, quality education for all.
Among the distinguished Speakers was Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong, Founder & President of Women in Sustainability Africa (WiSA) and General Manager of the EIB Network, who delivered a compelling address on the theme “Breaking Barriers: Empowering Out-of-School Children Through Education.”
In her remarks, Nana Yaa who is currently celebrating 26years of Service in the Media, emphasized that education must be viewed as essential national infrastructure, not charity.
Borrowing experiences from her 18 years of empowering women and young people, she presented a strong case on how Africa’s poor educational systems tie into the poor state of its Gender Equality gap.
According to her, unlocking access to education is one of the most effective ways to strengthen economies, empower women and young girls, build resilient communities and drive sustainable development.
She highlighted that each child excluded from learning represents deferred innovation, delayed opportunity and a weakened society.
Nana Yaa noted that the barriers keeping millions of children out of school are complex and interconnected—ranging from poverty and cultural norms to geographical isolation and digital exclusion.
Addressing these challenges, she argued, requires solutions that are equally comprehensive and multi-layered.
Nana Yaa stressed that girls remain disproportionately affected, and investing in girls’ education has a transformative impact across several Sustainable Development Goals, including gender equality, poverty reduction, health outcomes and climate resilience.
Nana Yaa advocated for the expansion of flexible, inclusive and community-responsive educational models, such as mobile classrooms for remote and nomadic communities, community learning hubs, after-hours programmes for working children, radio-based instruction for low-tech areas and digital platforms designed to reach learners regardless of connectivity challenges.
She warned that without deliberate action, the digital divide would continue to widen, pushing already vulnerable children further to the margins.
During her presentation, she introduced three major reforms WiSA is seeking Partners for, aimed at reshaping educational access across Africa and beyond.
These are the Digital Bridge for Out-of-School Children (DBOC), the Community Education Stewardship Hubs (CESH) involving local women educators and youth volunteers and the Teen-focused Global Skills Accelerator for Out-of-School Teens (GSA-OT).
She also underscored the need for education systems that support instruction, inclusivity and healing, particularly for children experiencing autism, trauma, displacement or conflict.
Nana Yaa emphasised that emotional and psychological support must be integrated into educational frameworks in order to restore confidence, stability and long-term learning capacity.
The summit concluded with strong commitments from stakeholders to adopt sustainable financing models, strengthen data-driven policies and expand cross-sector partnerships.
The African British Business Forum reaffirmed its commitment to championing innovative, scalable solutions to educational inclusion across the UK, Africa and the wider global community.
